Law school provides an ideal setting to learn the fundamentals of legal thinking. With courses like contracts, civil procedure, evidence and constitutional law on offer, students will develop their legal thinking.
Though most law students enter law school during their 20s, there are a handful of older students who successfully complete it as well. While they may have more family and work obligations than younger law school graduates, age should not stand in their way for becoming successful legal professionals.
The number of students enrolled in law school
American Bar Association data indicates an upswing in law school enrollment since 2010, as revealed by their survey data. J.D. programs experienced an 1.2 percent growth since last year’s survey results. This marks the first increase since 2010. The American Bar Association survey discovered that enrollment in non-J.D. programs has seen a 7.7 percent surge over the past year due to both an increased demand for legal training as well as law firm hiring increases. Increased law school enrollment may be good news for the legal profession, but its effects could be short-lived. An American Bar Association study finds that enrollment has increased faster than entry-level legal jobs. Furthermore, this research does not take into account that many law graduates may drop out or seek work outside private practice.
The 2021 incoming class at law schools is one of the largest ever seen since 2008, boasting record numbers from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as the most racially diverse matriculants ever. But while these positive indicators should not be forgotten, a law degree still does not guarantee employment upon graduation; an ABA report found that one third or more graduates from at least 30 law schools failed to secure full-time, long-term employment nine months post graduation.
Law schools have an incentive to maintain or increase enrollment because their tuition revenues depend on it; often 88% or more is generated from tuition alone, meaning any decrease could prove devastating to their finances and cause significant difficulty adapting to changing markets – this is particularly relevant at marginal law schools which depend on increased enrollment to counter low employment rates for graduates.
Law students’ expectations for their careers remain relatively consistent, with 49% expecting to work in private firms and smaller numbers hoping for employment with business (11), government (5), or public interest groups (26%). Yet graduates are now looking for other employment options at unprecedented levels.
The number of students graduating from law school
Students interested in becoming lawyers typically pursue four year undergraduate degrees followed by law degrees (Juris Doctor or JD). Once this process is completed, they take and pass the bar exam – typically taking from 2-7 years. Furthermore, law school can be costly so prospective law students should carefully consider their finances before enrolling; many schools offer financial aid programs to help manage budgets effectively.
Even though enrollment numbers have fallen over time, law school graduation rates have remained steady over the last three years – an improvement from earlier when law schools produced far too many graduates than the legal job market could absorb.
But the numbers remain cause for alarm at less-selective law schools, where only 60 percent of law-school graduates found full-time, long-term jobs that required them to pass the bar exam (this figure represents an improvement over 2013 when only 57% did so).
These numbers are especially alarming for minority students. Not only are they overrepresented at lower-ranked law schools, but their LSAT scores often fall below average – creating both academic and financial obstacles to becoming lawyers as admission decisions are often determined based on this test score.
Law-school applications tend to follow an undergraduate degree’s subject of focus; most applicants typically majoring in subjects like philosophy, English, history and political science. But this doesn’t have to be limited to only these disciplines – some prospective lawyers also hold degrees in business management, chemistry math engineering biology etc.
Law degrees can be costly and time consuming to attain, with tuition expenses taking years to be fully amortized. Furthermore, their long and difficult hours often compromising people’s health and well-being; many wonder whether law school is worth its price and risks of failed legal careers.
Preliminary law students must fully explore all available career options so that they can make an informed choice and plan accordingly after law school graduation. Aiming towards “maybe someday” goals could prove futile; concrete plans need to be put in place now!
The number of law graduates in the United States
United States law schools graduate approximately 34,000 people every year, offering these graduates many possibilities for legal profession careers such as practicing, teaching and working at corporations, banks or government agencies. Others pursue law degrees to become judges or prosecuting attorneys; most who possess one work in law firms.
Law school graduates in the US are increasing, yet lawyer numbers do not increase at an equal pace. There may be various reasons for this trend; including increasing numbers of students wanting to become lawyers but do not wish to devote three or more years in school; many of these students opt for legal certificate programs which can be completed within two years instead.
There is some positive news for law graduates. According to the National Association of Law Placement, employment rates were at their highest point ever for the class of 2021 – 42 percent found full-time, long-term jobs that required bar passage.
Employment prospects remain grim for recent graduates of many law schools; as recently as 2009, only 50 percent or less of law graduates from 30 law schools found work as lawyers nine months post graduation; at some for-profit schools like Arizona Summit and Charlotte Law Center only 33% found jobs requiring law degrees – this situation mirrored by Arizona Summit where only 30% found such roles after graduating!
As interest in law degrees surges and larger classes are admitted without regard to job market realities, we risk creating another inequitable market asymmetry. If job opportunities for recent graduates decline precipitously, we risk entering a prolonged legal recession that may last years.
At present, there are approximately 1.2 million licensed lawyers practicing law in the US. Their fields of work span criminal defense to business and finance. Most are employed in private firms; over half work at large law firms; the rest work either for federal/state governments or nonprofits/public charities.
The number of lawyers in the United States
Even with the slowdown in the economy, lawyer numbers in the US have barely increased over the last decade. Though still predominantly comprised of white men, women and minorities are making inroads into law careers; Hispanic and Asian attorneys have seen increases while Native American lawyers remain relatively stable.
The legal profession is also experiencing an ageing process, with the average lawyer now in their mid-50s compared to earlier generations when most were still in their 40s or younger. Partly this trend can be explained by retirements and deaths among older lawyers; but also it reflects a dwindling number of graduates entering law school each year due to job market constraints; more recently graduated law students cannot find employment immediately upon graduating law school.
Although there are more than 1.3 million attorneys in the US, many work for small firms or government agencies. Less than one percent start their own private practices while most work at larger law firms or set up businesses of their own; many don’t pay well but still allow lawyers to live comfortably.
Formerly, law school was seen as the key to career and financial success. Yet today, few lawyers believe their degree was worth its cost; according to one survey only 23% of law degree recipients agreed their education was worth the expense.
Many for-profit law schools suffer from poor job placement rates, so the American Bar Association (ABA) created a task force to address it. Arizona Summit graduates had only 39.9 percent find full-time, bar passage required employment without positions funded by them in 2014 excluding positions that were funded directly through them while Charlotte and Florida Coastal reported even worse results.
The American Bar Association’s 2022 Profile of the Legal Profession provides an in-depth look at this profession, addressing demographics, wages, law schools and students, mentorship relationships among lawyers, legal technology, well-being of legal practitioners and more. This report is freely available online through their website.